The STC .
(Image)
This machine is a sacred relic according to the teachings of both the Mechanicus and the Dark Mechanicus.
"Personally, I cursed this thing," he thought while watching the tech-priest tremble with excitement at the sight of the object.
Atreus hated STC templates with all his heart.
Unlike most humans of this era, he was among the rare few who knew a good part of humanity's history.
He could even boast of knowing more than the best chronicler in the Imperium of Man.
As such, he despised STCs and AIs.
This situation stemmed from humanity's fall into the techno-barbarian age during the Long Night, following Slaanesh's awakening.
One had made humanity too dependent, and the other had stabbed its master in the back.
Unconsciously, he let out a sigh.
"Even though I hate this thing, I'll have to work with it," he thought, clenching his fists.
The abominable intelligence (AI) had betrayed humanity. Nevertheless, it and the STCs were the only way for Atreus to have any chance of rivaling the Imperium.
He had no choice.
As for the identity of the STC exchanged with the Magos, it allowed the construction of a kitchen assistance machine.
The data proved that the machine could maximize the nutritional effects within the ingredients of a dish.
Atreus had already recorded the manufacturing method for this machine, as it would be used by mortals.
He no longer needed it.
Especially since the Magos of the Dark Mechanicus were not very different from their counterparts on Mars.
The latter considered any knowledge from STCs as wisdom granted by the Machine God.
This idea went far beyond the real value of a technology.
"Can you tell me the source of this STC?" the Magos asked, emitting strange sounds from his mechanical silhouette.
"I found it on another Dominus Magos I killed in the Sol System," Atreus replied, hiding nothing.
The Space Marine considered lying futile in this conversation, since he suspected the tech-priest had a lie detector.
He did not want to arouse the other party's suspicion.
Surprisingly, Atreus's wariness proved correct.
The Magos did indeed possess a lie detector.
"My lie detector indicates a 92.72% probability that this statement is true," he analyzed while observing his interlocutor's micro-expressions.
Even though the data was not absolutely precise, a tech-priest trusted machines more than flesh.
"You should have handed it over at the time," he said, referring to the moment he had received his brother for Apothecary training.
The Magos emitted a grinding of gears to demonstrate his displeasure at Atreus's actions.
"But no matter. The important thing is that the knowledge of the Machine God returns to its own," he added in a semi-monologue, before turning his attention back to the Space Marine.
"So, what favor do you want in addition to your brother's training?" he asked, observing his reactions.
"We can provide warships or standard combat armor, even Terminator armor. Other weapons or equipment are also negotiable," he proposed, in a slightly impatient tone.
The value of the STC was clearly higher than Atreus had anticipated. The Space Marine sensed this and decided to be greedier.
"I want none of those," he said curtly.
"What?" the Magos let out, staring at Atreus in search of any sign of madness.
The tech-priest's logic circuits paused for a nanosecond, then immediately reached a deduction:
"You mean your own planet?" he assumed, remembering the planet visible from the bridge of his ship.
"Indeed. My condition is to receive the support of your Forge World to develop the agriculture, industry, and mining of Limnos III, to carry out the repairs on the frigate, and to transform it into a leading civilized world," he explained, before adding:
"Of course, it must have a medium-sized support spaceport capable of repairing and manufacturing small and medium-sized starships."
There was a short silence in the reception hall.
Atreus stared at the Magos's sensors while the latter emitted various sounds from his mechanical body.
Grinding.
Creaking.
The noises were unpleasant, but Atreus and his men did not change their expressions as they observed their interlocutor.
It was clear to them that the Magos was considering every possibility by making maximum use of his neural cogitator.
The Magos's body emitted an unusual sound:
"Transforming a planet and developing industry is a long process that takes at least 50 years," he began, in a tone difficult to interpret.
"Fortunately, your compensation is indeed generous toward this servant of the Omnissiah. However, a spaceport is impossible. The type of spaceport you mentioned generally requires an orbital elevator, and the construction of a spaceport dock is even more difficult." He paused, as if to let his interlocutors digest his words.
"So it would take at least a hundred years, and the duration could even stretch over several centuries in case of unforeseen events. The offer you propose to completely finalize our agreement is not sufficient," he finished, leaving the room in silence.
Atreus already knew the other party would not agree.
To build such a gigantic spaceport, the remaining value of this STC was simply insufficient.
If he had not asked for his brother's training, then the margin for negotiation might have been credible according to his understanding of the Mechanicus.
Unfortunately, that was not possible.
He had simply tried his luck.
"Then let's start by building a small one, but you must lay good foundations to consider expanding it later," he demanded after a short reflection.
Atreus decided to be patient.
In the future, he would ensure that this spaceport had orbital defense capabilities as well as the ability to manufacture merchant ships and large warships.
For now, he would settle for the minimum.
Grinding.
Magos Morlock continued to emit sounds, as if lost in deep thought.
After about two minutes, he replied:
"Agreed," he said in his distorted voice.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you," Atreus replied simply with a nod.
Atreus glanced at his Techmarine, and Filon finally handed the STC to the Magos.
Atreus watched the tech-priest leave in a much "happier" atmosphere than when he had arrived on the frigate.
He had the impression he had made an excellent deal, exchanging a largely useless STC for a 50-year commitment from a Forge World toward Limnos III.
In the future, his planet could produce its own food, weapons, armor, and even armored vehicles, artillery, and fighter aircraft.
"Even if I will surely depend on Morlock's Forge World for a good while, I will make sure to escape their distorted view of science," he thought as he looked away from the tech-priest.
Once industrialization was launched, things would proceed much more easily.
…
While Atreus was already thinking about accelerating the development of his legion thanks to the arrival of the Apothecary and the equipment for creating Astartes,
on Magos Morlock's side, the grinding of gears once again emanated from inside his mechanized body.
It was not due to reflection from his neural cogitator, but rather a joyful laugh.
"Contributing to the development of a planet in exchange for a fragment of the Machine God's knowledge! What a deal," he rejoiced while observing the STC on a metallic tentacle.
"Even though the tasks mentioned by dear Atreus are quite arduous over time, they are not that difficult. Moreover, I can simply send apprentices to work on their realization under the pretext of training with the Fabricator-General.
It is also an excellent opportunity to send less competent tech-priests to gain practical experience," he mocked as he relaxed aboard his ship.
As for the spaceport, he had managed to palm off a basic model on Atreus, even though it was technically indispensable for the logistics of developing Limnos III.
This act was almost like selling a gift that should have been given for free.
Morlock had already understood that Atreus severely lacked technological knowledge when the latter had simply asked for support to develop Limnos III in exchange for a fragment of the Machine God's wisdom.
He therefore strove to minimize his losses from that moment onward.
"It's a shame I owe him a frigate. I could have avoided that by negotiating more," he thought, impatient to deal with Atreus again.